


Faded Connection

by TooMuchTimeinSpace



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Because I can, Gen, Sherlock and Stephen are bros, Twins actually, and I think about this a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 08:47:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14733779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooMuchTimeinSpace/pseuds/TooMuchTimeinSpace
Summary: “Do you have some secret brother I don’t know about?” John asked.He never expected Sherlock to respond: “Not secret, no. There has just never been a reason to discuss him.”





	Faded Connection

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place before the fourth series of Sherlock, and probably messes with the timeline of the show to have it take place after the beginning of Doctor Strange.

It had started out as a joke, posed as a question. “Do you have some secret brother I don’t know about?” He never expected Sherlock to respond with: “Not secret, no. There has just never been a reason to discuss him.” John stared at his friend for a long moment, waiting as his brain rebooted itself. “What?”

“Come now John, this is not that hard to understand. I have a younger brother.” Sherlock explained. “His name is Stephen.” 

“Well that’s a normal name.” John cut in, unable to help himself.

“Need I remind you my first name is actually William?” Sherlock huffed. “A name you would deem normal. My brother’s middle name is Vincent, which is what our parents most often referred to him as, though he hated it. Is that name weird enough for you?” 

“Noooo, that’s still pretty normal.” John said before changing the subject a little bit. “Why haven’t I met this brother of yours?”

“He lives in America.” At John’s questioning look Sherlock elaborated. “He went to study abroad there when he was twenty. He decided to stay and went to med school and became a doctor. Though he also decided to take an old family name from our mother’s side that has long died out, so he goes by Stephen Strange now.” 

“Wait a minute. Stephen Strange the famous neurosurgeon?” John asked.

“Yes.”

“He’s your brother?”

“Is that not what I just said?” 

“I suppose that’s not too surprising. Any brother of yours would have to be extremely intelligent.” John mused. He grabbed his nearby laptop to search up this Stephen Strange. He knew of him, but he was not sure if he has ever really seen a picture of him. So, John clicks on the first picture to appear. “He looks just like you.”

“He should, we are identical twins.” 

John looked up at the detective. “You could have mentioned that sooner.” Sherlock didn’t respond, so John looked back to his laptop. An article title caught his attention. “It looks like he was in a bad car accident not too long ago.” 

“I am aware.” Sherlock said. “Mother and Father called, they talk to him every now and then. Mycroft also called, he was told to ‘Fuck off’.” 

“Did you ever call?” John asked.

“No.”

“Why not? Sherlock, he is your twin brother.”

“I haven’t seen nor talked to him since he went to America.” 

John pursed his lips. “Were you two ever close?” He asked after a moment.

“When we were little.”

“What happened?”

\---

“Sherlock!” Their mother called. She could hear giggling before small footsteps came up behind her. She turned towards her four-year old son. “Vincent, I called for Sherlock.” 

“I am Sherlock, mum.” 

“No, you’re not.” She said kneeling in front of her youngest son. “A mother can always tell her children apart. Beside your hair is a slightly lighter shade of brown than Sherlock’s.” She pushed the young boy’s curly bangs from his face. “Now go get your brother for me.” 

“Yes mum.” He said before running off.

\---

“Red Beard!” Sherlock called the dog as he ran across the yard a wooden sword clutched in his hand and a pirate hat on his head. The dog came bounding behind him. Sherlock stopped and faced the dog. “We need to find my first mate.” He said. “Let’s look around the odd gravestones first.” The young boy made his way over to the gravestones with the funny dates and names on them that were in the front of the house. He looked around a few of them before finding his twin brother. “I found you!” He yelled, and Stephen grinned at him. 

“Yes, but you haven’t caught me.” He took off running with Sherlock right behind him. Though he did not get very far before he tripped over a rock and fell flat on his face. Sherlock stopped quickly and kneeled next to his brother worriedly. 

“Stephen are you okay?”

Stephen pushed himself up, spitting dirt out of his mouth. His jumper and shorts were now filthy, and he had skinned both his knees. “I’m fine.” He said though his voice sounded a little shaky. 

“Come on, lets go inside.” Sherlock suggested and pulled his younger twin up. Stephen nodded and the two made their way back to the house with Red Beard by their side.

\---

“Would you two cut it out.” Mycroft demanded. The thirteen-year old had been trying to do homework before the two six-year olds had come in.

“Not until you give up the treasure.” Sherlock said pointing his wooden sword at his older brother. 

“Yeah! Where do you keep the chocolate bars?” Stephen demanded on the opposite side of Mycroft. Also pointing his wooden sword at the eldest. 

“What makes you think I have any?” Mycroft asked, putting his pencil down. 

“Because.” The two said simultaneously. 

Mycroft just shook his head. “You’re going to have to do better than that. What are your deductions? Sherlock lets start with you.” 

“You always get your allowance on Sunday and on Monday you were ten minutes late meeting us after school. That is enough time for you to stop at the store on the way to buy some chocolate which seems to be a habit.”

Mycroft nodded. “Good. Stephen?”

“Uhhh chocolate is your favorite so what else would you spend money on….” He trailed off a little bit. 

“True, but not a very good deduction.” Mycroft said. Stephen looked down at the floor while Sherlock looked proud of himself. Mycroft opened a desk drawer and pulled out a chocolate bar. He handed it to Sherlock. “Split that. Now please get out of my room.” The two ran out. 

\----

The two sat next to each other at a table during their lunch break. It was just the two nine-year olds as per usual; however, a girl from their class approached their table and stood opposite them. 

“Stephen?” She started. 

The two boys looked at each other, had a silent conversation in the few seconds of eye contact, and turned their attention back to the girl. It was time for their favorite game. 

“Yes?” Sherlock asked. The girl looked surprised and switched her attention to the other boy.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I mixed you two up.” 

“Everybody does. It was an honest mistake.” Stephen said, propping his chin on his hand. “Now what did you need me for?” 

“Wait. Isn’t he Stephen?” She asked pointing at Sherlock.

“No.” Sherlock said at the same time Stephen said “Yes.” The poor girl just looked confused and kept glancing between the two.

“Ummm. Nevermind.” She turned away and left. The two boys looked at each other again.

“She gave up quicker than most.” Stephen observed.

“She was never going to be smart enough to win.” Sherlock responded. 

\---

School had just gotten out for the day and the twins, now eleven, stood outside waiting to be picked up. The fall air was cold, and it seemed like it was about to rain. 

An older boy muttered, “freaks”, under his breath as he passed. 

Sherlock didn’t react, just kept looking ahead at the road, but Stephen’s head snapped up from where he had been staring at the ground. “Hey!” He shouted, and the boy turned back towards them.

“Stephen, let it go.” Sherlock said to the other. 

“No. He can’t talk to us like that.” Stephen told his twin fiercely.

Sherlock finally turned his gaze away from the road. “He can, now let it go.” 

Stephen looked angry but turned away as the boy came to stand in front of them. “Do you have a problem?” 

Stephen gritted his teeth. “No.” He forced out. The boy narrowed his eyes but walked away. 

“There.” Sherlock said after a moment. “There is no need to get emotional.” Stephen didn’t respond.

\---

Sherlock sat on the floor, back resting against the side of his bed, reading a book. The door opened as Stephen walked into the room. The younger of the thirteen-year old twins laid down and rested his head on his older brother’s thigh. Sherlock kept reading.

It was silent for a long time before Stephen broke it. “I’m nothing like you and Mycroft.” He muttered quietly. Sherlock didn’t look away from his book but did stop reading. Giving his brother that much of his attention. “I’m not as smart and more emotional.” Stephen elaborated.

That was true, Sherlock mused. Stephen had never taken to deduction like he and Mycroft had which meant that Stephen was considered the dumb brother. Sure, he had his eidetic memory, and was smarter than most their classmates, but Mycroft said Stephen was the dumb one. So, Sherlock accepted it and so did Stephen because their older brother said so. Stephen was also the one that showed the most emotion, though that wasn’t hard compared to Mycroft and Sherlock.

“Does that really matter?” Sherlock asked after a moment.

“No, I suppose it doesn’t….” Stephen said. It was silent for a long time before, without another word, Stephen got up and left the room. Sherlock glanced towards the door but continued reading. 

\---

They were fifteen when Stephen told Sherlock: “I want to be a doctor.”

Sherlock paused the experiment he was doing for a moment. “Why?”

“To help people.” Stephen answered as if it was obvious. 

“People aren’t worth the effort.” 

Stephen sighed. “I knew you would say that.” 

“I just don’t understand why you care.”

“What do you want me to do? Not care about anything like you?” The younger twin was clearly agitated. “Do you even care about me?” Sherlock merely scoffed and continued his experiment. Stephen made a frustrated noise and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

\---

That was the beginning of their falling out. It was a couple weeks later that Stephen cut his hair short so that it was easy to tell them apart. When they were seventeen, Sherlock moved into Mycroft’s old room, so they had their own rooms for the first time in their lives. They began doing more stuff on their own and being individual. 

Neither of them really knew what to say to the other or how to fix their relationship. So, they grew apart, and when Stephen moved away to America neither attempted to keep in contact. 

\---

“Sherlock.” John called and snapped the detective out of his memories. He turned away from the window to look at John. “I asked what happened between you two.”

“Arguments and miscommunication.” He answered simply. “Just like it always is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated.


End file.
